Breach - Crisis - Redressive Action - Reintegration
Gathering
Dispersing
Performing
Inciting Incident
Root Action
-
Crisis
-
Catastrophe
-
Climax
Denouement
Procession
Recession
Presentation - Wooing - Combat/Death - Quête & Resurrection
Backtracking
Conventions
Boasts
Insults
Direct Address
Frame & Add
Sham Doctor's Quête & Cure
Resolution
with
Farewell Song
The Politics of Performance Kershaw’s Glossary of Terms
Concept
Ideological transaction:
Authenticating conventions:
Rhetorical conventions:
Contextuality:
Inter-textuality:
Performance:
Performance consciousness:
Performance crisis:
Performance efficacy:
Meaning
The ways in which spectators are actively engaged
in the construction of meaning as a performance
proceeds; the continuous negotiation between
performers and audience, company and community
to establish the significance of the signs and
conventions through which they interact.
The conventions or signs through which the
spectator establishes a relationship between the
‘fictions’ of performance and the nature of the ‘real
world’ of his/her socio-political experience
(especially its values/norms, etc.).
The conventions or signs which enable the spectator
to recognise and react to a performance as a
particular type of theatre event; they establish
distinctions between different genres, styles and
kinds of theatre/performance.
The propensity of a performance text to achieve
different meanings according to the context in
which it occurs. The ‘ideological relativity’ of a text
results from contextuality.
The ways in which the codes (conventions/signs) of
a performance text gain meaning for an audience
through its relationships with other texts.
All the events in and around the staging of a show,
including everything done in preparation (the
‘gathering phase’) and in the aftermath (the
‘dispersal phase’) of the production itself.
The frame of mind (of ludic role) created by
performance conventions which enables the
spectator to accept that the events of the production
are both ‘real’ and ‘not real’, and to ‘play around
with’ the norms, customs, regulations, laws, which
govern society.
The effect produced by a breaking or rupturing of
the rules/laws/norms which govern the uses of
conventions/signs (authenticating and rhetorical) in
performance.
The potential that the immediate effects of
performance may have to influence the community
and culture of the audience, and the historical
evolution of wider social and political realities.
Kershaw, B. (1992) London: Routlege. 257-58.
PRIMARY STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS:
Kirk, J.W. et.al., The Art of Directing, Wadsworth, Belmont, CA., 1985, pp. 24 ff. Root Conflict:
The single, underlying conflict.
It consists of the fundamental competing forces that create
the action.
The Protagonist is the initiator of the action and is
usually the focal figure in the conflict.
The Antagonist is the principal opposing figure or
force.
Root Action:
The process by which the root conflict is resolved.
Tells us not only who the competing agents are or what
the competing forces are, but also how the conflict is
resolved.
Considers following elements:
Protagonist
Protagonist’s Motive
Protagonist’s Act
Antagonist
Antagonist’s Motive
Antagonist’s Act
The Resolution
Climax:
When the root conflict is resolved, the climax of the play
occurs.
It is the key moment at which the controlling motive is
most fully revealed.
Action of the play = struggle to reach the climax.
Climax = end of action because root conflict is over.
Events may follow the climax but they will only clarify
and illuminate the climax.
These events are called the Denouement.
SECONDARY STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS
Inciting
Incident:
The moment that begins the root conflict.
It is specific and particular to the player(s).
• A play usually opens with characters whose lives are
already well advanced and may contain conflicts that have
been going on for years.
• The inciting incident applies not to these conflicts but to
the particular root conflict that makes this play happen.
•
Crisis:
The play focuses on a specific conflict, which, when
resolved, may also resolve a lifetime of conflicts.
The event which makes the resolution of the
conflict inevitable.
The crisis turns the two forces toward each other,
setting them on a collision course.
• After this moment the conflicting forces become not only
mutually antagonistic, but mutually destructive.
• A show-down is inevitable.
•
Catastrophe:
The crisis does not reveal the nature of the resolution. It
means that after this event a climax must come.
The moment that precipitates the climax.
It is the event that signifies that the resolution,
promised by the crisis, will occur now.
• Generally, the crisis and the catastrophe are separate
events; playwrights build dramatic interest by creating
anticipation of the culminating confrontation.
• They place their crisis at some distance from the climax and
use another galvanic event - the catastrophe - to bring the
action to a resolution.
An Analysis of Movement
- Rudolf Laban -
EFFORT
TEMPO
DIRECTION
FLOAT
SLASH
GLIDE
WRING
DAB
THRUST
FLICK
PRESS
Sustained
Sudden
Sustained
Sustained
Sudden
Sudden
Sudden
Sustained
Flexible
Flexible
Direct
Flexible
Direct
Direct
Flexible
Direct
Consider:
DEGREE of WEIGHT
Light
Heavy
Light
Heavy
Light
Heavy
Light
Heavy
“Certain movements can be considered derivatives of basic actions.”
(p.
69)
Basic Action
Float
Slash
Glide
Wring
Dab
Thrust
Flick
Press
Consider:
“No”
“No”
“No”
“No”
“No”
“No”
“No”
“No”
with a
with a
with a
with a
with a
with a
with a
with a
Derivatives
Strew, Stir, Stroke
Beat, Throw, Whip
Smooth, Smear, Smudge
Pull, Pluck, Stretch
Pat, Tap, Shake
Shove, Punch, Poke
Flip, Flap, Jerk
Crush, Cut, Squeeze
“As an experiment... try to pronounce the word “No” to express different
shades of meaning... with the following actions, each producing a different
sound quality and expression.” (p. 94)
Floating action
Slashing action
Gliding action
Wringing action
Dabbing action
Thrusting action
Flicking action
Pressing action
Gentle
Firm
Gentle
Firm
Gentle
Firm
Gentle
Firm
Sustained
Sudden
Sustained
Sustained
Sudden
Sudden
Sudden
Sustained
Flexible
Flexible
Direct
Flexible
Direct
Direct
Flexible
Direct
“By accompanying each of these sound expressions with a gesture of the quality
indicated, the reader will become aware of the connection between audible and visible
movements.” (p. 94)
1 of 2
Laban, R. The Mastery of Movement (4th ed.),
MacDonald & Evans, 1980, pp. 38, 69, 77, 94.
Table II:
(p. 38)
SPACE
Elementary Aspects Needed for the Observation of Bodily Actions
forward
left-forward
left
left-backward
Directions:
backward
high
medium
deep
Levels:
Extensions:
near
small
Path:
Table VI:
right-forward
right
right-backward
normal
normal
straight
-
angular
far
big
-
curved
(p. 77)
EFFORT
Survey of the Aspects of Weight, time, Space and Flow Needed for the
Understanding of Effort
Effort Elements
Measurable Aspects Classifiable Aspects
Motion
Factors
(fighting)
(yielding)
(objective function)
(movement sensation)
Resistance:
Levity:
Weight
firm
gentle
strong (or lesser
light (or lesser
degrees to weak )
degrees to heavy )
Time
sudden
sustained
Speed:
quick
degrees
Space
Flow
direct
bound
flexible
free
(or lesser
to slow )
Direction:
straight (or lesser
degrees to wavy )
Control:
stopping (or lesser
degrees to releasing )
Duration:
long (or lesser
degrees to short )
Expansion:
pliant (or lesser
degrees to
threadlike)
Fluency:
fluid (or lesser
degrees to pausing )
2 of 2
Laban, R. The Mastery of Movement (4th ed.),
MacDonald & Evans, 1980, pp. 38, 69, 77, 94.